Nanosec
by hazelbite1248
Summary: A oneshot during the time of 'There's a purpose to falling'. When a criminal known for his super speed comes to finish a little errand, Maria and the Autobots must save Detroit from the package Nanosec is transporting. But can the team stop him when some internal conflict gets caught in the mix as well? Implied OC x Prowl


Nanosec: by hazelbite1248

disclaimer:I do not own Transformers Animated or any of its characters except my own. I do not own quotes and moments from other movies a TV shows that this story contains. I do not own any of the songs that are played in this story. Please ask me if you want to use the characters I created.

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**hazelbite1248: Hello readers, this is Hazel back with another TFA one-shot**

**Maria: Well look who got out from their little time of darkness.**

**hazelbite1248: Yes Maria :/ lovely to see you too.**

**Maria: I thought we were working on our 'Wendigo' story. Cause, you know, we haven't posted a chapter in how long exactly?**

**hazelbite1248: *looks away* A couple of weeks now.**

**Maria: *throws arms up* You're just guessing too, isn't that lovely. Remember when we used to work on the trilogy and it was an everyday update?**

**hazelbite1248: It wasn't an every single day update, sometimes I would miss one or two.**

**Maria: *glares* Is that supposed to help your point?**

**hazelbite1248: *sighs* No, I guess not. I do apologize for my lack of story time for you all.**

**Maria: There you go :] now I know you have worked on this one-shot for a long time. I thought you weren't ever going to post this.**

**hazelbite1248: In my defence, when I was working on the 'There's a purpose to falling' trilogy, I was too busy writing those to work on this. This one is set in the first fanfic I wrote.**

**Maria: Meaning it takes place in the first season of TFA.**

**hazelbite1248: I skipped over the Nanosec episode in the first fanfic for reasons I can't honestly remember. So this could represent a 'deleted scene' if you will.**

**Maria: It's not that bad though, you pushed through this and I guess points can be awarded to you.**

**hazelbite1248: Thank you :) now take in mind, this is right after Maria's encounter with Meltdown if that helps in any way.**

**Maria: Well that should be it, and here you go lovely readers. Enjoy :D**

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Nanosec

Detroit was having one of it's most beautiful nights they had in a good long while. It was even more so with the fact that fireworks were littering the sky with lights and colour. Maria was walking down the streets of Detroit to meet up with her metal Autobot friends because she told them she would watch the fireworks with them.

It took Sari and Maria some time to explain what fireworks were to the bots, at first they freaked out thinking Decepticons were attacking the city. But after explaining the whole thing to them, The team soon realised they were prettier and more appealing than regular war explosions they were used to seeing.

Maria could see some admiration in Ratchets optics if she looked close enough. But looking at the red and white medic for too long wouldn't go unnoticed and Maria would miss the look.

The bots and Sari greeted Maria for coming on time. Even though Maria was wearing her regular clothing just as always, they all thought Maria was looking better for wear. They were still cooling down from the last fight with Meltdown, but they wouldn't bring it up around Maria for the sake of sensitivity.

"Hey guys, having fun with the light show?" Maria smiled eating some popcorn that she bought on the way.

"These fireworks are amazing! Whoever got this idea must be a genius!" Bee exclaimed holding Sari in his servos so she could get a better look of the sky due to her shortness.

"Well I'm glad you guys are having a good time." Maria stated with a smile but Prime then got word that someone recently robbed a nearby bank and police drones were to be spread out on the area.

"Autobots, spread out and search for a man named Nino Sexton." Prime relayed but Maria then got into a fit of giggles. Everyone in the group turned to face Maria, she was barely standing while her arm was around her waist to settle the laughter.

Good thing Sari and the Autobots didn't understand Maria sense of humour. And even better that Maria was laughing so hard that she couldn't speak, because she would explain.

Sometimes, she had no shame.

"Wow, that guy would have gotten all the jokes when he was a kid. I almost feel sorry for him." Maria manage to say. The Autobots shrugged at her little inside joke and Prowl was with Maria. The ninja bot studied Maria's good mood, but the thoughts of her running into Meltdown were still fresh in his mind.

"Come on, let's catch the unfortunately named crook first. I want to hit him with the jokes before anyone else does." Maria was very close to skipping off but Prowl cut her off immediately.

"I suggest that we take extreme caution. We don't know who this criminal is and we don't know what he's capable of." Prowl stated and Maria then realised what he was trying to say.

"It's okay Prowl. With this guy, I sincerely doubt that he's packing acid capabilities. Granted, I won't go easy on him. I have fists and deadly wits, I know how to use both." Maria then took out her hands and playfully air punched the space next to Prowl that broke him out of his cold expression.

Later:

They were walking around a maze of crates for a good fifteen minutes. Maria would bring up something to the conversation from time to time to lighten up the mood. As a matter of fact, Prowl did humor Maria's comment of using her fists and wits. He saw this first hand of how Maria would treat those who dared talk low about her.

Prowl never saw the same group of teenage boys hitting rudely on her twice for the same reason.

Snapping him out of his thoughts, Prowl noticed a man running past them both. He had shaggy, orange hair; his nose was a little crooked, uneven teeth and was wearing mostly black clothes but his light purple shirt was shown through his sleeves. Nino didn't see Prowl in the corner and rammed Maria aside still running.

"Out of the way lady!" Nano shouted, not looking back if Maria was alright.

"Hey, watch it!" Maria shouted at Nino who had a large white bag over his shoulder. He sprinted over the corner, out of Prowl's and Maria's vision.

Prowl's anger sparked when Maria was on the ground. He was very, very close to running after Nano and giving him a few choice words of Cybertronian tongue. And then some human terms he would catch Maria saying when she wasn't careful. But something he took into great concern was calling out to him.

"No, let him go Prowl. He's going to where Bee and Bulkhead are anyway. I'm fine." Maria got herself up and look like she took no harm from the shove.

Prowl then took Maria to her place due to the time. Maria then waved Prowl off and went back inside.

'Man, Prowl can surely play protector when he wants to.' Maria thought right when she entered her warehouse.

Autobot base:

Somehow Bulkhead and Bumblebee knew they were going to get a chew out from Prime after what happened last night.

Turns out that time was going to be that morning.

"Feeling refreshed after a midnight swim?" Prime narrowed his optics to them. By the looks of the two, they knew they were in trouble.

"It wasn't my fault! I swear!" Bee blurted out but Prime put his servos out to stop Bumblebee from anymore excuses. This was the time Prowl and Maria were coming into the room.

"What happened to you two anyway?" Bulkhead asked Prowl and Maria. But the human quietly hushed Bulkhead for putting the topic to stray.

"This isn't about assigning blame Bumblebee, it's about using your head instead of your thrusters. That's what I want you to work on with Prowl and Bulkhead today." Prime explained and it was at that time, Sari same into view from behind Bee with Ratchet beside her.

"But, I had plans with Bumblebee." Sari said disappointed.

"Remember that prototype that my dad was building?" Sari's mood changed with a devious smirk. And with the flick of a remote, a door opened with a blinding light emanating from that area.

Turbo Boosters. Maria didn't even ask how Sari got her eight year old hands on them.

"Sweet." Bee had a wicked grin on his faceplate as he made his way closer to the thrusters.

"You're not actually thinking of hooking those things up to yourself are you?" Prime questioned Bumblebee but Maria tilted her head, studying the devices.

"Bumblebee? I doubt he even knows how to put them on." Maria narrowed her eyes and Bee then put them on his back to see what they would look like on him.

"Of course not, Maria's right. I was about to ask the doc-bot to do it for me." Bee smirked.

"Thought as much." Maria sighed. Boy, did Ratchet have something to say about that.

"Have you got your processor up your exhaust port? These things are untested, incompatible"

"And totally wicked fast!" Sari jabbed in. Now it was Maria's turn.

"Just, slow down. The both of you. Not everything Ratchet says is scrap you know."

"HEY!" Ratchet shouted.

"Compliment Ratchet! Take the compliment! What I'm trying to say is this might not be the best idea." Maria left Ratchet to talk to Sari and Bumblebee. But instead the two were going on about how fast he could go with them and Maria decided to leave.

"Meh, well what do I know?" Maria growled and out the door she was. Prowl was going to go after her but Prime called him to stay.

Maria's POV:

Well that turned out beautiful didn't it?

I personally don't like just walking on away from the bots, it doesn't do well for my mind. But on the other hand, I get the feeling that Bee needs to grow up a little.

Don't get me wrong, I love how he can talk to Sari like none of the bots can... it's just when he acts like whatever he does it's without consequences...

Life doesn't work like that. Everything you has a consequence, small or smaller; It's there none the less. He needs to take some responsibility of something soon.

Funny, this coming from a person who knows everything about taking the fall of ones mistakes.

Granted, I was walking down Detroit for a fair length of time. But then I heard a noise coming up fast behind me, like a car speeding beside me. I didn't have time to react when it just whipped beside me, lifting part of my body to the fast wind.

"WOAH!" I shouted as I tried to gain my footing. I think what my mind was trying to say was that what the freak just happened?!

I shook out my surprise to the best of my abilities and kept walking. So what, hyped up girl scout selling cookies by the ton?

What do they put in those cookies? Are they-

ZOOM!

The same thing almost slams into me, but just misses my by a couple of inches. I planted both my feet to the ground and looked both ways to see it this was coming again.

Normal POV:

"What are you doing?" Bee asked Maria who looked like she was going to receive a football from two different directions. Maria relaxed and smiled at Bumblebee until she saw Prowl.

Some guy was riding on Prowl. He was a little older than Maria and a cop by the looks of him. Brown hair, mustache, his eyes were covered by a thick visor.

To Maria, and strictly Maria. She thought this guy looked strikingly gorgeous.

"Who's the babe with Prowl?" Maria whispered to Bumblebee and Bulkhead who then started to laugh uncontrollably. Maria didn't get that it was Prowl's holoform.

"Maria, it's me." Prowl spoke through the cop. Maria's eyes widened and her cheeks turned the slightest bit red due to embarrassment. She bent down, trying her very best not to laugh it off.

"Ha ha, jokes on me. Funny." Maria smirked and walked to Prowl. She playfully poked the side Prowl's holoform and to her surprise, it didn't go through.

"Do you mind?" Prowl's holoform looked to Maria.

"You feel that?"

"Yes." Prowl's voice was especially dry, Maria snickered a little and dragged her hand playfully across the holoform's face. She found out that they were on their way to catch some criminal that has been robbing the banks. Someone with super speed.

'Makes sense.' Maria thought while she was riding with Prowl. She wondered why he kept the holoform on if she was with him now. She didn't complain, she simply hugged onto the holoform so she wouldn't slip off. She didn't notice this before, but when she leaned her head to Prowl's cop form, she could smell the distant scent of motor oil. Nothing strong, but like the guy worked with cars.

Ironic that may seem, Maria liked the smell.

In short time, Prowl and Maria caught up to Nano when he was trying to run from Bee. The guy was taking a breather and Maria walked up to him.

"Hey Nemo, why so glum?" Maria toyed around and to her success, caused Nanosec to growl. But then he was sent to the floor by Prowl's ninja weapons.

"Word of advice, super speed does not equal to super strength." Prowl boldly told Nano as he got up from his place, looking over the two humans. Prowl got the first shot and in the second, Prowl's stabilizing servo was pinning Nano to the ground.

"So Nemo, what are you trying to prove? Shiny objects are shiny objects, not love." Maria giggled but then Nano tried to squirm free. Much to Prowl's amusement, he kept his foot down.

"Stay." Prowl firmly, yet slowly spoke to Nanosec.

"I don't do stay." Nanosec retorted and used his feet to scrape Prowl's foot to get him free. Prowl took some time to stop hopping on his foot in pain. Just as long as Maria stopped laughing.

"He's getting away." Prowl did his very best at the situation to nudge his helm to the speeding Nanosec to Maria. She just faced the ninja bot with a very humorous look to her face.

"Yeah, that's a great idea Prowl. At his speed I could catch up to him easy." She smirked in her dry comeback.

Bumblebee finally arrived and started to run to Nanosec. The human bounced off a bus that was just outside a donut shop for a sharp turn. Regrettably, the driver of the bus accidentally left the keys in the ignition and to park the bus.

So it was now racing down the hill, out of control.

Maria was the first to react to this and turned back to see Prowl's look also. But that wasn't all, a woman with a baby carriage was walking across the street at the bottom of the hill and saw the bus coming. She didn't have time to react when a civilian picked her up from the line the bus was about to cross an kept her there.

They missed the baby carriage though. The bus was going to run right into it.

Maria gave a loud gasp and on instinct, sprinted to catch up with the bus. On the way, she grabbed a random kid's skateboard to help her with the speed. She quickly apologized and her plan was to get to the crossway before the bus could slam into her.

She could hear Prowl's shouts of protest but she didn't stop. She went faster and faster to get to the baby first. Prowl tried to speed to catch up to Maria, when she made it to the baby first...

Prowl saw the bus trample the carriage, right in front of him.

He shouted Maria's name and the amount of shock he was in caused him to freeze in place. His spark was beating practically out of his chassis and it was the only thing that was ringing in his audio receptors for the time being. What he was feeling, thinking that Maria was hit by that bus. Man, did it ever hurt in Prowl's spark chamber.

When the bus then passed, he saw Maria laying on the ground out of the way of the bus. She was on her back, holding something protectively in her arms. It was the baby.

The mother screamed to her baby as Maria staggered her way to her feet. She gave the mother her unharmed child, the mother had tears of utter joy in her eyes and tried to hug Maria the best she could with the baby still in her arms.

"Thank you. Bless you miss." The mother whispered, like she was thanking God instead of her.

"You're welcome." Maria quietly replied and just walked away. The crowd started to buzz of what happened. In little time, reporter bots were circling Maria, asking so many questions it could make one's head spin.

Prowl then defrosted himself and took Maria away.

Autobot base:

So the catch for Nino didn't go too well, he got away and from what Maria heard Bee almost got flattened by a train.

A TRAIN! Maria was reckless too, but she wasn't stupid enough to try to outrun a slagging train.

Turns out, Bee wasn't the only one who got trouble from the others.

"Don't you think you should focus on Bumblebee more? I almost got hit with a bus, yes. Granted, but in my book I think a train beats bus." Maria was sitting on one of the large couches in the main room. Prowl, Optimus, Ratchet and Bulkhead were in the same room, glaring at her. She gave a huff at their unchanged look and sunk into her seated position.

"We already dealt with Bumblebee, our concern is with you now." Prime told Maria, she looked down from the bots. Not in shame, but of a different emotion in her. She thought why would they care so much for her. She was fine, was she not?

"Maria, you must understand what you did was based on poor judgment. It was far too risky of a task you had done. You could have been killed." Prowl let out his thoughts on the matter. Normally, Prowl is the type of bot that only speaks when he must. A very calm, level-helmed bot of the bunch.

Strangely enough, Maria had that way to almost break that control from under him. Like in the case, almost getting flattened with a bus.

Maria still didn't say anything. She remained unresponsive.

"Maria!" Prowl sternly told Maria and she blinked a couple of times.

"Yeah, I get it. Look both ways before crossing the street next time." Maria almost muttered.

"This is serious Maria." Prowl firmly reminded Maria and that caused her to stand fully up.

"You think I don't know that? I don't know if you knew this, but that baby was going to die if I stayed and played it safe. A baby, Prowl. Frankly, I'm glad I did what I did and I would have done it again." Maria was looking at Prowl when she said this but it was originally directed to all the bots in the room. Prowl could see the cold truth in her, she wasn't joking.

They stayed silent, letting her words sink in while she left for the door.

Later:

Prime had to stop Prowl from going after Maria. He told him that Maria needed some time to clear her head. Prowl glared at this, like Prime was saying this was his fault.

Then they got word that Nanosec was on it again, they were going to catch him this time. They all transformed and drove away from the base.

All except Bee.

"You know, there might be another way to get that turbo upgrade." Sari smirked and Maria at that second ran into the room.

"I came here as soon as I could. Let's go get Nemo." Maria announced but she then realized she was too late.

"Man! Come on!" Maria shouted at her misfortunes. She then walked to Sari who was telling Bee her plan. They were going to loop-hole their way into getting those boosters on.

It only took a couple of minutes to plant them on. Maria and Sari were sitting up at the front.

"Can't believe you talked me into coming." Maria mumbled and Sari beamed a smile.

"What could happen?" That earned the girl a glare from the black-haired woman next to her.

:Autobots! I need backup!: Maria and Sari heard Prime call through the comm link in Bee's car mode. Maria's attention spiked and she let out a sigh.

"We better go." She groaned.

"You ready to try it out?" Sari then asked Bee and Maria could only imagine what stupid grin the bot was wearing if he was in his robot mode.

"Let's motor." Bee agreed and Maria put Sari's key in the ignition because Maria was older. And the one condition Maria made if she agreed to come. She settled aside her uneasiness for the key and turned it in the ignition.

And just like that, all three of them were rocketing at lightening speed. Maria tried not to curse due to her surprise but Sari was too shocked to speak.

"You rock!" Bee congratulated Sari.

"No you rock!" Sari returned.

"No you rock!"

"No you rock!"

"No you rock!"

"I said you rock!"

They went on like that for a good two minutes...

Another part of Detroit:

Optimus was fighting off Nanosec in the streets. It took some time especially since the little human bullet was quick enough to slip away from Prime's grasp. Knocking him down at the same rate.

"I can do this all day, but I got a schedule to keep." Nanosec told Prime. But before he could make a final hit to Prime, like lightning he got up and cut the cable whip Nanosec had in his hand. Thus making him so much easier to catch.

"You seem to have a problem with taking things that don't belong to you. Care to tell me where you got the suit? " Prime had one servo holding Nanosec and the other pointing to said man. All in all, Optimus was not impressed with the criminal.

But before any of them could answer or speak, Bumblebee was coming towards them. Fast.

"You want speed? I'll show you speed." Bumblebee said while he continued to rocket down the street.

"Bumblebee no!" Prime tried to shout. Because he wasn't stopping.

"Can't you stop those things?!" Sari and Bee said at the same time.

"Remind me never to listen to the both of you." Maria glared at Bumblebee from the inside. Maria then decided that she needed to get out of the car.

"Come on Sari, we need to get out." Maria said before she opened the door and flopped to the road. She hissed in her injuries when she landed on the flat rock. Only a couple of scrapes she would tell herself.

Maria looked up and saw that Bee and Sari ran right into Prime thus causing Nanosec to fall free on the ground. Right in front of the package. Maria wasn't going to let that happen.

"Oh no you don't Nemo." She growled while she tried to get herself off the road. She got into a battle position, Nanosec just scoffed.

"Look lady, you just don't stand a chance. Now move it one side or it's gunna be done for you." Nanosec didn't see a threat in Maria. And that was his first mistake. He tried to walk by her just to mock her, that was his second mistake. Maria gave him a strong uppercut to the jaw and he fell over.

_'Okay, so that's how it's going to play out.'_ Nanosec thought to himself while glaring at Maria. He used his super speed to get in front of Maria and kneed her in the gut. She gasped for air but she didn't fall. So the two were locked in a hand-to-hand combat but Nanosec was always one step ahead of Maria. Until Maria caught a hold of him.

"That's a bad Nemo." Maria was talking to him like he was a puppy. This infuriated Nino to no end.

"That name's Nanosec, air head." He insulted, but then something caught Maria's grey eyes. Sari was still with Bumblebee, and he was still speeding down the street. This caused Nanosec enough cover to get out of Maria's grip and shoved her to the ground. So he grabbed the package and made his escape.

Maria got up and held her throbbing head. She made a mental note to kick Nino's speeded shoes in next time she saw him. But reality slammed into her when she remembered about Sari and Bee.

They were heading for a closed road and were prepared to fall.

Maria cried out Sari's name as she tried to sprint to Bee. Put Prime use his cables and had a hold on Bee before he and Sari went off the bridge crashing.

"Bumblebee! Turn off your boosters!" Prime grunted while trying to keep them from falling.

"I can't! " Bee panicked.

"Reverse! Use reverse you idiot!" Maria shouted. She couldn't be more mad at Bumblebee at that moment. Because of him, he was getting not only himself but Sari in danger. Maria valued Sari far too much to let that happen.

But miraculously, Bee had taken Maria's advice and shifted to reverse. Sadly, running over Prime in the process.

"Sorry!" Sari and Bee said at the same time once more. Maria went to Prime's aid to see if he wasn't too badly injured. She would go on a hunch that maybe his pride was a little worse for wear from that hit.

"Are you okay?" Maria asked Optimus while he painfully got himself on his stabilizing servos. After Prime got situated, he took Maria with him to the rest of the group.

When Maria first saw them, it was quite a scene. Bulkhead, Ratchet and Prowl were staying put while Bumblebee was still racing around in circles around said group.

"Who wants to yell at Bee first?" Maria asked Prime in a sour tone.

"I will." Optimus firmly replied.

"Forget that, let's try a coin toss."

"A what?" Prime asked the slightest confused but Maria shrugged it off. When they finally made it to their team, Bee was holding Sari in his robot mode.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Sari asked herself aloud. That's when the dynamic duo came in.

"Ratchet. I suggest you disable those boosters now." Using his big-bot tone, Prime got the point across that he was just done with Bumblebee's antics.

"Before he gets himself hurt, and god forbid Sari too." Maria was beside the red and blue bot. One arm was clenching its fist while the other was pointing directly at Bumblebee.

"Sari's fine Maria, we'll get Nanosec before he even knows it." Bee came up and defended himself with Sari in his servos.

"That's not the point Bumblebee! I couldn't care less right now with Nemo or whatever his name is! If you had any ounce of responsibility and care for others, we wouldn't be on this pointless goose chase!" Maria shouted. Truthfully, Bumblebee was a little hurt by her words to him. He wondered to himself if that was indeed what Maria always thought of when thinking of him.

"There's no time, we need to stop Nanosec before he blows us all the way back to Cybertron!" Ratchet came into the picture. Maria let out an angered sigh, knowing that her chance of saying more to Bumblebee was done. Prime gave the go for everyone to move out.

"In your own original, vehicle mode." Prime strictly told Bumblebee and Sari.

Later:

"Listen up. We need to approach with extreme caution, he's carrying unstable Destroynium." Ratchet explained to everyone on the road. Sari was riding not with Bumblebee but with Optimus. Separating the two was his idea. From Sari's seat, she looked down to see Maria riding with Prowl, and next to them was Bumblebee.

"What's Destroynium? Last time I checked, that wasn't in our little table of elements." Maria commented to the team.

"That's because it isn't. Earth isn't the right area to harbour vast amounts of Destroynium." Ratchet explained.

"But why would a small time crook want to steal Destroynium?" Optimus was baffled by this bit of information.

"You think that's what turned his hair white?" Bulkhead brought up the other piece of information when they caught Nanosec. When they caught him, his hair was the same colour of a senior. Before Bulkhead, Ratchet and Prowl were bashed with the Nano getting free courtesy of Bee and Sari.

"His hair was white?" Maria asked.

"White hair in organics is usually a function in age?" Prowl explained to Maria.

"I know what it does." Maria huffed at the motorcycle she was riding.

And then it hit Bumblebee.

"Age, that's it!" He shouted and then got his thrusters one himself again. This made Maria fume in anger.

"I thought Prime told you to keep those off!" She shouted to Bumblebee. But it was too late, he was already off and out of eyesight from her and the rest.

"Bumblebee, what are you doing?!" Prime demanded.

"Using my head, and my thrusters." He simply replied in his comm link. Maria growled at the reply like it was politely insulting.

"We'll get to Bumblebee Maria." Prowl took this time to reassure her, Maria listened to what he said and calmed down.

By the time they all made it to where Bumblebee was, they saw him with the Destroynium. While Nanosec was a lot older and on his weak knees.

"What happened to him?" Sari asked about Nanosec with concern lacing her voice.

"That suit didn't just look older, it made him turn older. The more he used it, the faster his body aged. Until he finally ran out of time." Bumblebee told everyone. Ratchet however, took this time to pick up the Destroynium and examine it again.

"That stuff's gunna blow and take all of us with it in about thirty nanoclicks." Ratchet alarmed the team with the news. Bumblebee got the Destroynium from Ratchet's servos. For the first time, Bee was making the game plan.

"I can move it some place safe fast."

"At this point the only safe place would be the upper atmosphere!" Ratchet yelled at the yellow mech.

"Bumblebee, your turbo boost is fast-" Prime started to say.

"But it can't fly." Maria finished. This got Bumblebee into some deep thinking, until his blue optics widened and he looked up to the sky.

"Maybe it can. With a little help." He finally said.

Minutes later:

Everyone was ready. Bulkhead was in position, ready to throw Prowl and Bumblebee. Then Prowl to do the same to Bee.

"Ready for lift off?" Bumblebee checked with his team mates. Placed on his battle mask and waited for his answer.

"Ready for lift off." Bulkhead acknowledged. Maria was holding on to Sari with worry written all over her face.

"It's going to be okay Maria." Sari knew by the way Maria was holding her that she was anxious about if they were going to pull this off.

"I hope so." Maria responded. In that second, Bulkhead shot up both Prowl and Bumblebee to the sky at incredible speeds. When they made it to a certain point, Prowl used his thrusters to throw Bumblebee higher into the atmosphere with his own boosters. When Maria wasn't able to spot Bumblebee in the sky, she knew his plan worked. Now it was the matter of bringing him down to Earth.

Ratchet safely got Prowl down to the ground, right after he was met with Maria's arms around his stabilizing servo. Prowl only smirked and lifted her so that she'd be hugging his chest plate. Carrying her life she was a newborn sparkling.

"Nice throw, never took you for having a good arm." Prowl could hear Maria's muttering from his chest plate, which caused the ninja bot to smirk. But the moment ended too fast when everyone saw the explosion from the Destroynium in the sky.

"Come on Bee! You got this!" Maria shouted when they all saw a speck in the sky coming down to Earth. They knew it had to be Bumblebee, they just hoped he was online.

"He's not going to make it." Sari said with sad eyes. Maria went beside Sari and tightly hugged her.

"Yes he is Sari." She reassured the red-haired girl. But Sari did bring up the possible truth. Bumblebee was coming back down like a crater, plummeting and fast.

"He's coming in too hot." Maria said to herself, quietly enough so Sari didn't hear it.

"Ratchet, we need to slow him down and cool him down stat." Prime ordered the medic. With his magnetics and Prime's hose, they just managed to get Bumblebee down in one piece to solid ground.

But when they reached him, his entire armor was grey.

"No." Maria gasped and reached to touch the side of Bumblebee's shoulder.

"Maria wait!" Prowl shouted right when Maria made contact with the searing hot metal. She gave a sharp screech in pain and withdrew her hand .

"Okay I get the warning, I get the warning." Maria growled to suppress the pain of the burn. But she turned back to the laying mech with a face that was covered in guilt.

"He's grey. You guys don't go like that unless... oh no." Maria went to her knees like all the strength in her was gone.

"No no no. Bee you can't do this. Please, not now, not you." Maria crawled her way around to see his head. Fighting back the urge to tear up.

"Maria..." Prime tried to speak up.

"I gave him such a hard time, and those are going to be the last word I ever told him. I never meant to be so hard on him. I don't want him to remember that from me. Bumblebee had such life in him and always had Sari's well being in thought." Maria shouldn't look at Bumblebee anymore, and put her knees to her face.

"I just wish I could have told him better things. I wish that he knew that he means so much more to me alive." Silence filled the area. It seemed to go on forever, until the sound of moving metal broke the quiet.

"Hooo... what a ride."

Maria's head shot up in a flash to see Bumblebee's blue eyes. At first, Bee could see the most relieved smile he ever saw on her. But then all he could see from her was an expression of rage.

"Bumblebee!" Maria shouted while giving to the bot's standards a weak kick to the side of Bumbebee's helm. That was when Prowl plucked Maria from the ground to hold her back.

"You little-... God help you when I get my hands around your neck! Your fenders mine buddy, the junkyards not going to know what to do with you when I'm done going all Mothera on your exhaust!" Maria fumed in rage. She stopped herself when she noticed that Prowl was giving her a look while holding her.

"What?!"

"Filter." Prowl slightly narrowed his optics to her.

"Oh no, I am not sugar-coating this."

"Are you finished?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then please continue." Prowl dared her. Maria paused and kept eye contact with the black and gold mech with a pout-like frown. Then brough her attention back to Bumblebee.

"You look funny." That was the only remark left in her that made Bumblebee scoff a laugh.

"Thanks for the kind words."

"Oh I got a lot more kind words smart guy-"

"I meant from before." Bumblebee stopped Maria from saying more. Her grey eyes widened in shock that he heard her. After the long period of eye contact with Maria and Bee, she gave a small smile to the burnt mech. Which made Prowl convinced that Maria was ready to come down.

"Nice work Autobots. Now let's transform, and roll on home." Optimus congratulated everybody before he drove off. Sari and Bumblebee were just standing next to each other in silence before Maria and Prowl stopped while passing them.

"Race you back to the plant?" Prowl questioned Sari and Bumblebee in his motorcycle form.

"Promise not to rub it in if we beat you." Maria chimed while riding Prowl. But Bumblebee only smiled.

"If it's all the same with you, I think we'll walk." This, coming from Bumblebee, made Maria look at him differently at that moment.

"You did good Bumblebee." Maria smiled at him, then she and Prowl went on their way. Leaving Sari in the hands of a mech Maria now could define as responsible. And more of a friend.

* * *

**Maria: Ha! It's finally done :D**

**hazelbite1248: I don't know why I didn't put this in with 'There's a purpose to falling', it's not that bad.**

**Maria: Oh well. So what do you say Hazel, ready to bounce?**

**hazelbite1248: O.o I don't know, what if it takes longer to post another thing? I don't want to let anyone down.**

**Maria: *hugs Hazel* It's okay sweets. while you were underground so to speak, you've had so many plans for us. Readers, she really has.**

***Hazel blushes***

**Maria: Hazel's got plans for more stories. We'll certainly be traveling around the fandoms. Wish Hazel luck guys :D**

**hazelbite1248: :| Oh what, you don't need luck?**

**Maria: Nah :D not when I have you with me.**

***Hazel head desks***

**Maria: Oh man, I guess I broke her.**

**hazelbite1248: *muffled cries***

***Maria picks up Hazel***

**Maria: Well there's nothing I can do about her for the moment. She'll spring back to normal soon. See you readers in the future. In the proud words of me, I conclude this meeting with...**

_**Warm and snarky regards,**_

**_Maria Romanoff _****=] (P.S. I changed the symbol )**


End file.
